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When it comes to food, Thailand is famous for it. Whether you’re in the U.S., Europe, Australia, or other parts of Asia—it's undeniable that Thai food is gaining huge popularity. Like Muay Thai (Thai boxing), the temples, and the elephants; Thai food is an iconic symbol of the country. The assorted variety of Thai delicacy is able to please many of the palates from spicy curries, salty shrimp paste, to sugary fruits and desserts. Some foreigners who come to Thailand have reported losing weight from eating Thai food. This of course is in combination with other factors such as the hot humid weather and lots of walking. In California for instance, you don’t see as much people walking on the sidewalk compared to Thailand where people are constantly running to catch the bus, sky train, and traversing the pedestrian bridge. Apart from the food, Thailand’s capital city Bangkok is notorious for its unbearable traffic jam. This is probably one of the reasons why Bangkok folks are forced to walk further steps to use a public transportation. During the lunch hours (or almost any hours for that fact), Thais would pour onto the sidewalk where street vendors sell all sorts of things from hair accessories, shoes, and yes—food.
Food is sold everywhere. Side streets, sidewalks, you name it. Barbecue on a stick, juicy fruits sold in a wheeled cart, sweets sprinkled with coconut flakes, fried chicken with sticky rice, the list is endless. The serving portion of Thai food is also smaller compared to the Western countries. Thais do eat meat, but not as one big chunk. The meats are sliced into smaller pieces and mixed with other raw ingredients such as vegetables or rice. Mashed potatoes with butter and cream are not commonly eaten unless it’s at a restaurant inside a shopping mall. Thais usually eat plain rice and/or noodle soup which when compared to potatoes with all the oily accompaniments, are lower in calories.
Even with all the goodness of Thai food, there are however, many downsides to it. When it comes to food, Thais emphasize on the taste. Food has to taste good to be eaten. This is not necessary a bad thing. But problem arises when people start favoring taste over the health benefits of the food. Certain things that taste good might be harmful to our health. Sugar is a good example. Thai food is over laded with seasonings—salt, sauces, sugar, chili, and MSG. Sometimes it’s difficult to savor the taste of the food itself because it has been overpowered by all the sauces. If you have a chance to go to a typical Thai food court, you will see Thais automatically dumping spoonful of sugar and fish sauce into their noodle soup without bothering to taste it first. It becomes almost like a habit. Many Thais don’t like eating plain fried eggs. They have to drizzle soy sauce and sometimes ketchup all over it. Everything is based heavily on taste. Even fruits have to be dipped in a mixture of sugar, salt, and chili instead of eating them plain. That’s why the fruits you purchase from a fruit cart come with a packet of this sugary dip. Food are normally cooked with palm oil (sometimes reused oil) and again, not so good for your arteries.
Does this mean that Thai food is unhealthy and we should stop eating it? Traditional Thai food is delicious and can be healthy . However, we do suggest you be more selective with the street food. Don’t eat something just because it tastes good because you never know what ingredients lurk in it. Do be aware that Thais put sugar in almost anything edible, so the next time you order a fruit shake that is freshly made in front of you, tell the vendor no syrup (mai sai nam cheuam) or else they’ll automatically pour in a ladle full of syrup into your fruit shake because that’s how Thais like their shakes. Be aware of MSG. You can tell the waiter (or the cook) not to put MSG (mai sai poang- choo-rote) but it’s no guarantee whether they’ll listen. Some symptoms of consuming too much MSG include headache and a dry throat. You have a parched throat after eating a certain Thai food? It might be the MSG, not the salt. You can choose the place you eat. If you feel sick after eating at a certain side street restaurant, try changing the restaurant. It is advisable not to eat out every single day. Even if you can’t cook or don’t have the time to cook, at least try to make something healthy for yourself like a simple salad, steamed chicken, or a whole meal sandwich.
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